Young Macedonians
by Yumemakura
Summary: This is a collection of drabbles and ficlets about young Alexander and Hephaistion whose ages are between seven and fifteen.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I moved this drabble from 'Moments', as it is more fitting to this 'Young Macedonians' series.  
**

**Chapter 1  
**

**Prompt: Forward  
Title: From This Day Forward  
Word count: 400**

Seven-year-old Alexander was trying to reason with another boy.

"Cleitus said that the prettier she is, the better the bride is. So, you should be the bride, because you are much prettier than I am, Hephaistion."

"But, he also said that it is better if the bride is younger. So, you should be the bride, because I am older than you are."

"You are only six months older than I am."

"But, it still counts."

"Then, how about this? I am the prince. The prince cannot be the bride."

"Well, how about this? I am a boy, so a boy cannot be the bride, either."

Alexander frowned. The boy was stubborn, and Alexander was not gaining any ground, rather he was losing.

"Does it mean that we cannot marry?"

Alexander asked pouting.

"I'm afraid not."

Hephaistion replied sternly. Alexander bit his lower lip, and bowed his little head down. Seeing his friend's disappointed form, Hephaistion regretted that he argued to this point. When he was just about to give in, all of a sudden, the blond head snapped up. His bright eyes were shining with sheer excitement.

"Why don't we both be husbands?"

"Alexander, you are a genius! Nobody told us that both couldn't be husbands."

They grinned at each other, and then took off to the field to prepare for their ceremony. They each made a wreath with sweet white daisies and bright red anemones.

They put on each other's crowns.

"I Alexander, choose you, Hephaistion, as everything. From this day forward, I vow to love you through happiness and unhappiness. I promise to honor you, the gift I have been given."

"I Hephaistion, choose you, Alexander, as my best friend. From this day forward, I vow to stand beside you to spend the rest of my life listening to you and sharing your dream."

Alexander cupped Hephaistion's cheeks with his both hands, and Hephaistion followed suit. They exchanged a ceremonial kiss, while holding to each other.

"Now we are a husband and a husband, Hephaistion."

"We are bonded."

"Yes! Nobody can come between us."

"Even Peritus?"

"No, not even Peritus."

"But, Alexander, I love Peritus. Can he be an exception?"

"All right, Hephaistion. How about if we say that no human would ever come between us?"

Hephaistion's bright smile melted Alexander's heart. It never failed to cheer Alexander up no matter how foul a mood he was in.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2  
**

**Prompt: Habit  
Title: Alexander and Hephaistion's Habit  
Word Count: 500**

In the winter when Hephaistion was seven years old, the weather was particularly severe in northern Greece. It even snowed in Pella in late November that was very unusual for the city along the Aegean Sea.

Hephaistion hated cold. He could take heat, but when it came to cold, he had no tolerance at all. He was not proud of it, either. A boy had to be strong both mentally and physically. His father used to say that mental strength often overcomes physical weakness.

'_Just don't think about it, then I might not feel any cold.'_

Hephaistion was trying his best, but he was losing his battle.

"What's wrong with you, Hephaistion? You are very quiet tonight."

"Nothing is wrong."

Hephaistion answered in short sentences while grinding his teeth together, so that they would not chatter. Although the fire was burning in the fireplace, the air in Alexander's room was freezing cold as the evening grew.

Alexander looked at Hephaistion in puzzlement; he did not understand why his friend was acting so strangely. His face was so pale that he looked as if he were in pain.

"Are you hurting anywhere? Are you in pain?"

Alexander took Hephaistion's hands in his. They were as cold as the lifeless marble stone. Alexander's eyes grew bigger in surprise, but he did not let them go. Instead, he guided his friend to his bed.

"Let's lie down. I'm getting tired."

With this, Alexander put a cover over them, and spooned Hephaistion. It felt as if the rays of spring sun wrapped around him, and Hephaistion leaned his stiff body against comfortable warmth.

Six months had passed, and it was the stormy season in late spring. Alexander and Hephaistion were playing in the courtyard. All of a sudden, dark clouds multiplied in the sky, and soon, the blue white lightning ran across the black sky pouring down big drops of rain.

They ran back into Alexander's room while laughing and splashing through the water pools. As the storm increased in intensity, so did the wind. It howled as if it were alive and breathing.

"What's wrong, Alexander? You have become very quiet."

"Nothing."

Alexander replied in a tiny voice, as he was afraid that his voice might tremble. He was not afraid of thunder or lightning, but the howling sounds of the wind rubbed his nerves up the wrong way, and made him feel very uneasy.

"Are you getting sick, Alexander?"

Concerned, Hephaistion took Alexander's hands in his. They were shaking like a leaf.

"Let's take a nap, Alexander, I'm getting tired."

They lay down on the bed, and Hephaistion held Alexander from behind against his chest. Feeling the calm breathing against his neck, and the rhythmical strong beats of Hephaistion's heart, Alexander felt his body relax.

From this year on, it became their habit to lie together on those cold nights, and stormy days. They had learned that there was no need to fight alone. Life was much easier when facing it together.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3  
**

**Prompt: I'm Sorry  
Title: A Partner in Crime  
Word Count: 500**

Queen Olympias' chamber was somewhat mysterious and sweet smelling. It was totally different from King Philip or Alexander's room; a kind of place that was worth exploring for young boys.

Olympias had beautiful jewelries, and adornments. She also kept rare snakes in baskets, and the room was filled with the aroma of exotic incense even when she was not there.

Although it was not a strange place for Hephaistion who had visited with Alexander numerous times, let alone for Alexander who normally had breakfast with his mother every morning, all they did mostly was sit quietly, and listen to what the Queen said. They had not had a chance to explore freely.

One afternoon, Queen Olympias was out of the palace to visit the temple of Eucleia in Aegae. She would not come back until tomorrow evening. Alexander and Hephaistion could not pass this opportunity.

They picked up every single thing that came in their sight while yelling to get each other's attention, and making a comment. When Hephaistion found a thin veil left at the post of the bed, he put it over his head, and sat on a chair.

"Alexander my Achilles, come to your mother."

He spread his arms wide while imitating Queen Olympias. The soft thin veil he wore was made of light blue silk that was embroidered with gold and silver threads. Hephaistion looked as noble and as elegant as the Queen under the veil.

Alexander's eyes grew big in surprise for a moment, but soon he ran into Hephaistion's inviting arms with delighted laughter. The impact was so great that he knocked Hephaistion backwards with the chair while landing on top of him.

"I'm sorry, Hephaistion. Are you all right?"

Still laughing, Alexander grabbed Hephaistion by the wrist along with the veil to help him up. His motion stopped in the midst when he heard the terrible sound of tearing fabric. His expression froze in terror as he realized that the noise came from his mother's veil that the other end was still stuck under Hephaistion and the chair.

Hephaistion rolled off the chair, and looked up at the veil. It was almost torn in half. The damage was too great to be mended.

"Don't worry, Alexander!"

With this, Hephaistion rushed out the chamber. He soon came back panting with a small clay pot in his hand. Hephaistion snatched the veil from Alexander who was still holding it aimlessly, and start pushing it in the pot.

"What are you doing?

"Getting rid of the evidence."

"What?"

"Your mother cannot prove that we ripped her veil, if she does not see it. Come on, Alexander."

Hephaistion took Alexander through the courtyard, and he buried the pot under the hemlock tree.

"There!"

Hephaistion looked into still worried Alexander's eyes.

"It's all right Alexander, you are not alone. I am as guilty as you are."

Finally, a tiny smile appeared on Alexander's lips, and the little partners in crime headed back to the palace hand in hand.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4  
**

**Prompt: Too Late  
Title: It's Too Late at Night**

Queen Olympias was meticulous. Especially, when it came to her possessions, she had a place for everything, and everything had to be in order. Therefore, it did not take long for her to find out that somebody had been in her room when she came back from Aegae.

It did not take long for her to guess who it was either. Firstly, all the things that had been moved were lower than the top of her head. Secondary, none of her servants reported anything unusual. Thirdly, she found a slight chip on the back of her chair. It must have been turned over with force while somebody was still sitting on it, otherwise it would not chip like that. So the intruder had a partner.

Considering those facts, she had concluded that the trespassers were her own son, Alexander and his friend Hephaistion. Satisfied with the conjecture, she smiled to herself. It was fun to think about how she could surprise them with what she had found out. However, it was not the time yet. She had to get ready for the banquet tonight.

That evening, King Philip was throwing a party to entertain the guests from Egypt. Alexander and Hephaistion hid themselves behind a large vase to watch the entertainment as usual. Children were not officially allowed to attend the banquet, but they knew that king Philip did not really mind if they stayed out of sight, and kept quiet.

The ambassadors from Egypt brought their own musicians and dancers, and had them perform for the Macedonian king. The music and dance were exotic, and so different from what they were used to. Alexander and Hephaistion watched them in fascination.

"What happened to the veil I gave to you? Why aren't you wearing it tonight?"

Alexander and Hephaistion stirred to King Philip's loud voice. They must have fallen asleep. Now the banquet was over, and all the guests had gone. The king and the queen were ready to leave as well.

"I could not find it. I must have misplaced it."

Queen Olympias replied calmly, but Alexander's heart was pounding.

"Misplaced it? It does not sound like you at all. Why don't you just admit that you did not wear it because you don't like it?"

The king was now shouting as his mood was quickly deteriorating.

"The queen is not lying."

Before Alexander realized what was happening, Hephaistion was already standing in front of the King. The king's eye grew big at this unexpected defender who was looking at him straight into his eye.

"I accidentally tore it, so I hid it to get rid of the evidence."

"No, it was not Hephaistion, but me who tore it. It's all my fault."

Alexander too jumped out of behind the vase.

"No, it's my fault, because it would not have happened if I had not picked it up."

"I see, so you are telling me that you both are guilty. You know what you did was a serious offense. If you were a soldier, your head would be chopped off. What do you think, my queen? What kind of punishment should we give to these offenders?"

King Philip had a hard time to keep a straight face seeing the boys' expressions hardened with fear. The way those friends protected each other without caring for the consequences was rather adorable and it made him smile. It quickly washed away his foul mood.

"It is too late tonight. How about making them spend a day with me tomorrow?"

The king laughed out loud. It was indeed a torture.

"It is an excellent idea, my queen. You heard her. Now Alexander and Hephaistion, go to bed and report to the queen first thing in the morning."

Alexander and Hephaistion ran back to their rooms. They were not sure if they were lucky to escape death or had got themselves into a deeper trouble. Spending a whole day with the Queen while listening to her talk sounded a big chore.

As a matter of fact, it turned out to be surprisingly not bad at all though. Queen Olympias gave them an extra sweet honey cake for breakfast, told them an exciting story of the heroes, and then left them alone for the rest of the day. Alexander and Hephaistion wondered what they had done to deserve this good fortune, but they did not question any further.

What they did not know was that Queen Olympias had left the veil at the bedpost on purpose while hoping somebody would take it, so that she had an excuse not to wear it without making the King mad. The truth was that she hated the veil. The pale blue did not go with the color of her eyes at all.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5  
**

**Prompt: Secret/Green  
Title: Green Palace**

Alexander ran. He did not know where to go, but he needed to be as far as possible from his parents. He could take spanking from his father. He could take nagging reproach from his mother. He could even take beating. Yet, what he could not bear was a fight between his father and mother.

As any married couple, King Philip and Queen Olympias had an occasional fight. However, as Alexander grew older, the frequency and the severity of their disagreements had increased. They argued with such hatred that Alexander was afraid that they might end up killing each other one of these days.

To make the matter worse, it always resulted in them trying to make him take sides.

"Alexander, don't you think that your mother is so unreasonable, and asking for too much?"

"Alexander, you would understand why I am doing this, right?"

Alexander hated them both for putting him on the spot to choose either one of them. They were asking for a very uncomfortable and difficult thing. Therefore, whenever his parents' fight had escalated, and he felt the danger of him being put in the middle of it was getting close, he ran away.

It was one of those escapes when Alexander accidentally found this secret sanctuary while looking for a place to hide, and had a fateful encounter with Hephaistion.

The ray of the sun was intense in the summer sky, and the air was thick with humidity. Alexander ran through the courtyard into the forest behind the palace while wiping off the sweat from his brows. A narrow path of pebbles wound up on the slope of the hillside.

He stopped when he came to a small opening, and saw a boy of his age who was squatting in the middle. Tall bushes surrounded the circle making it the perfect hideaway from the rest of the world.

Alexander could not see the face of the boy since he was looking down at the ground, and wearing the kausia (*1). Alexander gasped and the noise made the boy look up at the intruder. His blue eyes that shimmered with unshed tears were so calming that it made Alexander feel as if he was cradled in the gentle waves of the Aegean Sea.

"What are you watching?"

Alexander squatted beside the boy. The boy silently pointed out the line of ants that disappeared among the bushes.

"Let's find out where they are going."

Alexander stood up, and offered his hand to the other boy. The boy looked up at him with now clear eyes with no tears. He smiled sheepishly while taking Alexander's hand. Alexander's heart was instantly filled with warmth. He had never seen such a genuine smile.

They followed the line, and found it ended at the corpse of a dragonfly. They watched a bunch of small ants carrying away a dragonfly with fascination. It must have weighed a hundred times heavier than they were.

"Wow."

"It's amazing what those little creatures can do together, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

"I'm Alexander."

"I'm Hephaistion."

They looked at each other, and smiled. An immediate bond and understanding were there.

Alexander later found out that the place had been Hephaistion's secret hideout where he came whenever he was scolded by his father, and sad. However, from that day on, it became both Alexander and Hephaistion's secret hideout. They called it the 'Green Palace', since lush bushes surrounded it like green walls, and it was the most precious place on earth for them.

Alexander would never forget that summer day when he met with Hephaistion, and many happy memories they had spent for years together in their secret Green Palace.

**Note: *Macedonian flat hat.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6  
**

**Prompt: The Past  
Title: One Day at The Stream**

"Ah ha ha ha ..."

Clear laughter of young boys traveled over the stream along with the sound of splashing water. Depending on the direction and the force of the wind, the sweet aroma of honey suckles filled the air.

Alexander and Hephaistion had been playing in the stream. The cool water was shocking at first to the heated skins that were baked in the early summer sun, but it felt rather refreshing after their bodies became used to it.

They locked their hands, and squeezed the water in between the palms while trying to hit the other body. Cheerful laughs broke out each time when they made a clear hit. The strings of water in the air, the droplets on the tips of their hair, and the young boys' wet skins, everything shone golden reflecting the rays of the sun. Yet, nothing shone brighter than their vivid eyes.

Although the stream that came running down from a high elevation was too chilly and freezing to stay in for long, the two boys fought against the cold until their lips turned purple, and their teeth chattered with uncontrollable shivers. It was not until the shivers became too violent to even speak a word, they finally got out of the water.

They stretched on the soft grass by the bank to dry their wet skin under the sun while soaking up the warmth.

"Look, Alexander! Don't you think that looks like your teacher Leonidas?"

Hephaistion pointed up at a cluster of clouds in the sky.

"Yeah, you are right! Especially those bitterly curled down lips are just like him."

"Oh no, his ear is breaking."

"And his eyes are popping out."

Another cheerful laughter echoed in the air.

"Come on, Hephaistion, let's go back to the water."

With this, Alexander jumped into the stream followed by Hephaistion. As soon as their bodies encountered the cold water, their hearts sped up, and their muscles tensed with sudden change.

"Agrrr! It's too cold!" Hephaistion screamed.

"Not any more!"

With this, Alexander grabbed Hephaistion who was rushing back to the shore, and dunked him by the head into the water.

"Take this!"

Hephaistion whipped his hair while splashing water in all directions as he came out of the water to make Alexander run away. They chased each other until they were both out of breath and had to stop to gasp for air.

Many years from now, this day would become one of their happiest days in their memory. Yet at this very moment, there was neither past nor future for young Alexander and Hephaistion. Only the present existed, and living in the moment was the only thing they had in their mind.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7  
**

**Prompt: Myths and Legends  
Title: Myth of Hephaistion and Legend of Alexander**

**Word Count: 500**

"Now, we have learned all thirteen fallacies. Can anybody give an example for one of the fallacies?"

Aristotle looked around his pupils. It was a fine day in late spring. The sun was gentle, and the air was warm at the open-air classroom in Mieza. Alexander's mind was in haze. He was listening his friends' banter as if it were happening in a dream.

"I have a great example."

Cassander stood up sneering.

"Girls are beautiful. Hephaistion is beautiful, so Hephaistion is a girl."

"Thank you, Cassander, for reminding me that I AM beautiful. I have one for you, too. _Wise men speak when they have something to say, fools speak because they have to say something_.* Cassander always has to say something, so Cassander is a fool."

Nearchus quickly responded.

"Oh, Hephaistion used not only an example of Subtraction as Cassander did, but also an example of Accent! You ARE the master of fallacies, Hephaistion."

Hephaistion bowed, and everybody laughed except Cassander.

"All right, Hephaistion, since you are the MASTER, can you explain what is the opposite fallacy of Subtraction with an example?"

"It is the fallacy of Composition. An example is …"

"Cassander is a fool, thus he always says something unnecessary. Nearchus likes to say something pointless, too. So both Cassander and Nearchus are fools."

Ptolemy cut in while drawing more laughter.

Hephaistion cleared his throat with a rather serious expression.

"I would like to use the next example for the fallacy of Composition. No Greeks defeated the Persians in Asia. Macedonians are Greeks. So no Macedonians can defeat Persians in Asia. I think we can and we should prove that this is a fallacy."

Alexander whipped his head around to look back at the owner of the voice. His sleepiness and laziness had gone with that Hephaistion's answer. That was what had been exactly on his mind for the last couple of days; to conquer the Persians and have the world in his hand when he grew up. And, Hephaistion said it out loud as if he spoke Alexander's mind.

The other boy smiled when their eyes locked. Seeing the beautiful face with a bright smile in front of him, a strange feeling slowly settled in Alexander's mind. The name Hephaistion sounded foreign, yet so familiar. His face, especially those clear eyes that were like the summer sky stirred up nostalgia.

Alexander startled noticing that he was thinking of Hephaistion as a stranger. He had known this boy for a long time. He had a memory of meeting him one summer day at their secret place. Yet at the same time, he could not wipe the strange feeling of Hephaistion appearing in front of him from nowhere as if he were sent by a god.

At that moment, Hephaistion became a myth, and the first page of the legend of Alexander the Great had been written. It was also the moment when Aristotle realized what a true friend was. It was one soul in two bodies.

***: Aristotle's quote.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8  
**

**Prompt: Awkward  
Title: An Awkward Moment**

Alexander did not know what was wrong with him, nor did he understand what the strange feeling was. It all started a couple of days ago in Aristotle's class when Hephaistion shared the same dream as Alexander without even realizing it. At that moment, Alexander knew that he found his fate.

Alexander had not totally believed that he was the son of a god like his mother tried to convince him. He was not that naïve. Yet, he still was proud of himself to have a direct bloodline from Heracles and Achilles, two great heroes of history, and wished to become one himself.

And now, it seemed that he was one step closer to making his wish come true. He had found his Patroclus. Alexander clearly remembered that moment when Hephaistion spoke his mind. Something had snapped inside of him when he met with Hephaistion's eyes. His heart flipped beating louder and faster, and he felt a heat rise up on his cheeks.

Since that day, every time when he saw Hephaistion, Alexander felt the urge to touch his smooth skin, take the silky strands in between his fingers, and kiss the soft lips. He could no longer look into Hephaistion's eyes without having the fear of losing control.

"What's wrong with you? Did I do anything to upset you, Alexander?"

Hephaistion finally confronted him.

"N … Nothing."

Alexander stammered being a little intimidated by Hephaistion's straight forwardness.

"Then, why have you been avoiding me?"

"I am not."

Alexander replied with a tiny voice.

"Say that again while looking directly into my eyes!"

Hephaistion demanded, and Alexander could no longer avoid his friend. Alexander slowly lifted his gaze to look into Hephaistion's blue orbs.

Surprisingly, what Alexander saw in there was not anger, but pain. Alexander panicked. It was the last thing he wanted to see. He realized that he had hurt the last person he wanted to harm. He needed to fix it somehow very quickly.

His body moved unconsciously, and the next time he became aware of what he was doing, he found himself putting his lips on Hephaistion's. Hephaistion's body became rigid at first, but he did not flinch. Alexander quickly pulled away.

"I … I'm sorry."

"No …"

This time, Hephaistion closed the gap and brushed his lips against Alexander's. He pulled away as quickly as Alexander did, and smiled at him sheepishly. Their touch was brief, and their skill was unpolished, but it still felt good and right.

After the ice had broken, they started to further explore each other's bodies. They did not know how to make love properly, but it was exciting simply to feel the other's hand on you. There was just one problem. Hephaistion was too vocal that they could not experiment in their room at Aristotle's school.

They found the perfect spot by the stream though. Tall bushes surrounded it just like their secret place in Pella. Everything disappeared around them while feeling each other's heated skin. The only thing that connected them to the ground was the tension that was building up in certain parts of their bodies.

It ended with Alexander's groan, and Hephaistion's loud cry.

"Oh!"

Alexander sprang up hearing the voice, while Hephaistion remained on his back. Ptolemy's round eyes were looking at them.

An awkward moment was saved by a loud cry. Looking back at the beautiful bird that spread out his colorful tail, Ptolemy spoke chuckling.

"Oh, so it was you who has been making those loud noises. You indeed live up to the myth. You have angels' feathers, a devil's voice, and the walk of a thief."

Since that day, Ptolemy called Hephaistion peacock when he was in a teasing mood. That made Hephaistion blush furiously in crimson red, making everybody wonder why he had to be so embarrassed to be called by the name of a beautiful bird. Only Alexander and Ptolemy knew that there was more reason to it.


End file.
